1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for globally distributing a service containing digital contents, and more particularly, to a system and method for globally sharing digital content owned by each local multi service platform (MSP) and associated metadata in a standardized format by allowing each local MSP to participate in a global MSP consisting of a master MSP acting as a global hub for distribution of digital content and a Solution Market Place.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advancement of Internet technology and proliferation of broadband communication have led to the distribution of digital contents. For example, a user can access the Internet on personal computer (PC), mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), television (TV), or refrigerator to purchase contents including sound such as bell ring/music, pictures, motion video, Avata, or other various information or use on-line services such as Internet banking and booking. The user is also allowed to purchase a restricted range of contents originating in other countries or networks via the Internet. However, the range of contents retrievable is too restricted for a user to freely purchase the contents being sold in other countries.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional digital content transaction system. Referring to FIG. 1, the digital content transaction system includes a digital content provider server 11, a service provider server 12 receiving digital contents and providing the received digital contents to a consumer, a consumer terminal 13 purchasing digital contents, and a telecommunications service provider server 14 providing a transmission medium connecting each storage medium with a terminal.
The digital content provider server 11 includes a digitizing unit for digitalizing analog contents, a storing unit for storing digital contents, a transmitting unit (compression and communication unit) for enabling transmission of digital contents via the Internet, and a controlling unit for comprehensively controlling various activities including the classification, storage, retrieval, compression and transmission of contents. The digital content provider server 11 generates and digitizes contents and provides the contents to the service provider server 12 that then provides the contents to a consumer. Digitization of the contents may be performed by the service provider server 12 as well.
The service provider server 12 includes a retrieving unit investigating/collecting digital contents, a storing unit receiving contents from the content provider server 11 and storing the received contents, a digitizing unit digitizing contents as needed, a classifying unit classifying contents, a network interface connecting a consumer to contents, a content providing unit for delivering contents to a consumer through a download or streaming function. For example, when the service provider server 12 is a web server, the service provider server 12 collects and stores contents, displays the contents so that a consumer can access and download the contents on a web through a browser, and sells contents to a consumer.
The digital content consumer terminal 13 may be a PC connected to the Internet or a mobile phone. The consumer terminal 13 includes a receiving unit searching for digital contents and receiving the retrieved contents through downloading or other methods and a content activating unit playing sound or motion video or setting pictures as wallpaper. A digital content consumer searches for and selects contents and executes a purchase command for the selected contents through the terminal 13.
The telecommunications service provider server 14 provides network equipment that enables content transfer among a service provider, a content provider, and a consumer. For example, wired/wireless telephone communication service provider and wired/wireless telephone communication service provider construct the server 14 to provide services that enable communication between the service provider server 12 and the consumer terminal 13.
Digital content distribution based on the architecture of the conventional system is individually made by industry, local service provider and content provider, and terminal. In a conventional content transaction process, a consumer accesses a site (various portal sites, electronic content on-line shopping malls, one-line movie theater, etc) of a service provider who owns his/her desired content through a network of a selected telecommunications service provider and selects and purchases the desired content. The service provider collects contents through agreements with various content providers and provides the collected contents to consumers.
The conventional digital content distribution method makes it difficult for a consumer to access content. When the consumer desires to use a specific content, he/she must directly search a web portal site for a service provider who owns the content and visit the web site of the service provider to check if the desired content is provided. Thus, if the web site does not provide the desired content, the consumer must visit another web site.
Second, contents and services are separately designed for different geographical locations, cultures, and languages. A consumer mostly accesses content originating in foreign countries via the Internet using a PC. However, the consumer encounters difficulty in using the foreign content due to the difficulty in understanding language and content classification system. Global distribution is made for an extremely restricted range of contents.
Third, the conventional digital content distribution method suffers inconvenience in use because a service being provided is highly dependent on a terminal. For conventional distributed digital contents, because the type of services available varies according to the type of a terminal (e.g., a PC, a mobile phone, a television, etc.), a user interface, a transmission channel, content type, and content format are different for each terminal type. Thus, to purchase desired content, a consumer must access a service that provides the desired content only through a specific device. Sharing of the same content between devices is limited to specific cases such as transmission of images and music between PC and mobile phone.
Fourth, since a content provider and a service provider need to separately design or individually customize contents according to the specification of each terminal, the conventional digital content distribution method involves repetitive processes. For a conventional content platform, content must be designed separately or customized for each specific device so that content designed according to the specification of a specific device can be run on the device. Thus, these repetitive processes cause inefficiency.